Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have been knocked out of the first round of the 2021 NBA postseason, one of their assistant coaches may be on the move.
The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly are interested in hiring Jason Kidd as their next head coach, and he is rumored to be interested in the job as well.
Jason Kidd has interest in Blazers head coaching position per sources.
Kidd and Lillard's ties run deep: they're both alum of St. Joseph Notre Dame.
Damian Lillard tells @ChrisBHaynes that Kidd is the coach he wants.
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) June 5, 2021
On Friday, Terry Stotts and the Blazers parted ways after the team was eliminated by the shorthanded Denver Nuggets.
Years ago, Kidd was one of the NBA’s top point guards. He turned the New Jersey Nets from a laughingstock into a very good team by leading it to back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals.
Later on, he finally got a ring with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. Shortly after his playing career ended, he became a head coach. He coached for the Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.
If Kidd indeed moves to Portland, his experience in winning an NBA championship as both a player and coach will come in handy.
The Blazers have not won it all since 1977 when they were led by Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
